Special therapies aid autistic boy | Oamaru News | Local News in Oamaru

Life with a 4-year-old boy who has autism may be exhausting but Yanina Tacchini  loves her son Ian just the way he is.

The Oamaru mum has been on a rollercoaster of emotions since he first began showing symptoms of the condition but, with special therapies,  the family can now see signs of improvement.

World Autism Awareness Day was held on Saturday, April 2, and Mrs Tacchini hopes that telling her story will raise the issue and understanding in the community.

Ian was born prematurely in Argentina, losing a lot of oxygen at birth. However, while  Mrs Tacchini says he was always a quiet child, he began developing normally.

When he was about 18 months old, Ian was already calling his parents' names and could almost sing an entire song in Spanish.

 This all changed when the family, including father Pablo, came to New Zealand on holiday and decided to emigrate.

"Ian cried the whole flight and from then on he was a different boy," she said.

Mrs Tacchini says the change of environment may have triggered the sudden reaction but they do not know for sure.

Suddenly he was constantly upset, stopped talking, threw tantrums and showed signs of autism, such as spinning six lids at once for more than an hour.

"We started to see there was a problem so we tried to go to a paediatrician but, because he was not on the emergency list, we paid and went to Dunedin," she said.

"I knew what it was, I just needed someone to tell me."

Ian was then diagnosed as having Higher Functioning Autism or ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder).

Mrs Tacchini says this means that while he finds it difficult to understand and communicate, he is also extremely intelligent and talented in other ways.

"We would just have to show him once and he knows how every door works," she said.

"We have to constantly keep an eye on him."

Ian is  very independent and, unlike some with autism, Mrs Tacchini says he is "a really caring boy" and shows love in his own way.

"He is really hard to understand sometimes but he has his reasons," she said.

"In some ways he is more like an adult."

Mrs Tacchini was put in touch with the Otago Children's Autism Support Group Trust,  which  provided funding for Ian to take part in an ABA (Applied Behaviour Analysis) therapy programme.

This is a one-on-one intensive programme, which involves Dunedin therapists working with Ian in his own home.

Using toys and technology, they teach children how to imitate, talk and work on their social behaviour and discipline.

Mrs Tacchini says the therapy has "changed our life".

"It's amazing ... he is calmer, he can say hello, he can sit down and be happy, he can talk and communicate and is learning his numbers and colours," she said.

"As parents, we see the changes every single day.

"Eight months ago I didn't know that was possible."

The therapy can take between 12 and 20 hours a week but they  agree the hard work is "priceless".

On Saturday, a group of local families with an autistic child (it is believed there are 10 such children in Oamaru) met to celebrate the awareness day.

They say there is amazing support and resources in Otago, but more awareness is needed.

"Autism is not the end of the world, it's another way of being and showing emotion," she said.

As for little Ian, he is progressing well, attends Little Wonders Playcentre and is expected to start school at  6.

 "We are really proud of him and love him for who he is."